I read a lot of tech and lifestyle blogs and I frequently find food related posts make me salivate. This one had my stomach screaming and I was forced to satiate it immediately; homemade MacDonalds style fries. I was truly amazed with the results; it was almost identical (although I went a little lighter on the salt!). It requires only a moderate amount of work and if you plan ahead a little you can end up with several frozen portions - perfect for just heating up oil (no prep!) and dumping them in.
I am no master in the kitchen, but have been cooking for myself and friends/family for over 15 years and consider myself to have respectable skills. I generally don't follow recipes to the letter, but I do familiarize myself with the important bits and get a little creative with different tastes and ingredients. This one is a bit of an exception as there is a good bit of science involved to obtain the correct crispness/fluffiness/colour. The vinegar in the blanch water and the freezing being the two most important steps. I didn't have a thermometer so I made some good guesses about oil temperature (electric stove 3/4 of max). My house has an inoperable deep-fryer so I borrowed it's vegetable oil instead of using new oil (as long as it has a smoke point above 400F any oil should do).
The result is a thin, golden brown, very crispy, non-soggy but moist, perfect french fry. They were so good i had to share them with everyone I could, just so I could say, "I made these. Aren't they amazing?" I had to make another batch as soon as I finished the first just to believe it wasn't a fluke. It was not. I have two large servings sitting in the freezer earmarked for accompaniment to my next burger creation.
It should be noted that seasoning them is up to you. I used some coarse seasalt and a bit of cracked black pepper. Next time I think i'll try some garlic and cayenne. Putting ketchup on these is definitely a sin. Try a little white vinegar instead, it won't overpower them, but will still add that little extra if you're a habitual condiment person. One final note: removing the excess oil by patting off the fries with paper towel will help them last longer without getting soggy. I only ran into this with the very last few fries of the first batch as I didn't towel them off.
The author of this recipe had to go through a lot to reverse engineer MacDonalds fries and the original post is highly entertaining, informative and well worth the read. It can be found here: http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/05/the-burger-lab-how-to-make-perfect-mcdonalds-style-french-fries.html
Note: Potatoes can be frozen after step 2. To freeze potatoes, place entire sheet tray in freezer. After fully frozen, place in Ziploc bags, press out air, and freeze for up to 2 months. If cooking straight from frozen, do not cook more than 1/4 batch at a time unless you have a large vessel for deep frying, as oil temperature will drop too precipitously.
Ingredients
2 pounds russet potatoes (about 4 large), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch by 1/4-inch fries (keep potatoes stored in a bowl of water)
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
Kosher salt
2 quarts peanut oil
Procedure
1. Place potatoes and vinegar in saucepan and add 2 quarts of water and 2 tablespoons of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 10 minutes. Potatoes should be fully tender, but not falling apart. Drain and spread on paper towel-lined rimmed baking sheet. Allow to dry for five minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in 5-quart Dutch oven or large wok over high heat to 400°F. Add 1/3 of fries to oil (oil temperature should drop to around 360°F). Cook for 50 seconds, agitating occasionally with wire mesh spider, then remove to second paper-towel lined rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with remaining potatoes (working in two more batches), allowing oil to return to 400°F after each addition. Allow potatoes to cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Continue with step 3, or for best results, freeze potatoes at least over night, or up to 2 months.
3. Return oil to 400°F over high heat. Fry half of potatoes until crisp and light golden brown, about 3 1/2 minutes, adjusting heat to maintain at around 360°F. Drain in a bowl lined with paper towels and season immediately with kosher salt. Cooked fries can be kept hot and crisp on a wire rack set on a sheet tray in a 200°F oven while second batch is cooked. Serve immediately.
